A SMALL Somerset village will be getting a Co-op convenience store after plans were approved by local councillors.

Property Link (representing a developer identified only as ‘Ahmeti’) submitted plans in August 2023 to build a new convenience store and up to six smaller business units on land east of the A38 Bristol Road in Pawlett, between Bridgwater and Highbridge.

Somerset Council’s planning committee north delayed making a decision in mid-August to allow for a site visit, following concerns about how the plans would impact on road safety.

Following the site visit on September 20, the same committee voted to approve the plans when it met in Bridgwater on Tuesday, October 8.

The site lies on the opposite side of the A38 to Pawlett’s existing residential development, next to The Elms car sales business.

As part of the access arrangements, a ‘ghost lane’ will be added to the A38 for traffic approaching from the south – making it more difficult for traffic leaving the site to turn right towards Highbridge and West Huntspill.

A new toucan crossing would also be provided across the main road, linking up with the existing pavement to provide a safe route to the site from either entrance to the village.

The new convenience store (which will be run by The Co-operative Food) will occupy the largest unit, nearest to the access point, and will command 19 of the 44 parking spaces being provided throughout the site.

To the north of the site, a new attenuation pond and landscaping will be put in place to minimise the risk of localised flooding and provide a green buffer between the village and the surrounding countryside.

Councillor Andrew Warner, vice-chairman of Pawlett Parish Council, told the committee that the development was of a disproportionate scale and would exacerbate existing traffic issues.

He said: “Your development plan states that large-scale commercial development of 1,000 sq m or more should be on brownfield sites in Bridgwater, Burnham-on-Sea and Highbridge. This is a greenfield site near our village hall.

“Coming out of Pawlett and turning right towards Bridgwater, it’s difficult currently to see traffic coming from your left.

“This will be made dangerously worse because cars waiting to turn into the development from the south will hide the oncoming cars.”

Councillor Gill Slocombe (Bridgwater West) said: “I do think it’s very pertinent to have ongoing maintenance of hedges and vegetation as part of any planning approval.

“The safety and visual amenity of this proposal is very much dependent on everything clear and being able to see properly.”

Councillor Alastair Hendry (Highbridge and Burnham South) said: “Our highways teams are very professional, very technical and extremely good at their jobs.

“If they say the access to this is okay, that’s good enough for me.”

The committee voted to approve the plans after around an hour’s debate by a margin of nine votes to none, with two abstentions